Change Your Image
Michael James
Reviews
Disorderlies (1987)
Old-school comic gold!
(warning: possible spoilers below)
One of the best ideas for a comedy film ever!
You see, the nephew of a rich old man is waiting impatiently for his uncle (played by Ralph Bellamy) to die, and somehow he blames the orderlies taking care of 'ol Ralph for his longevity.
So what does he do? He hires ... dis-orderlies! Played by the Fat Boys!
It's a reminder that, while the 80s were fun, it's pretty good to be in the twenty- first century.
Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999)
Surprisingly, a comic masterpiece
Those may be somewhat strong words with which to describe this movie, nevertheless "Drop Dead Gorgeous" struck me as one of the best-produced comedies of the decade.
Why? With all the "American Pie" and "Road Trip"-style movies that have become popular again, "Drop Dead Gorgeous" is a step in another direction. It combines the irreverent simplicity of "American Beauty" with the exact documentary style of "Hearts and Minds." It doesn't bombard you with multiple sexual overtones, although that's what you might expect. It also benefits from extremely strong performances.
There are "holes" in the script (for example, Gladys Leeman, Kirstie Alley's character, would have been thirty-four through the movie), but I see these flaws in reality as really excellent messages. Watching it a second time, the script shows out and uncovers its very deep messages--and they aren't just about the good vs. evil, white trash theme that recurs at several points.
Despite all my comments on the structure of the movie, "Drop Dead Gorgeous" is still a funny picture to watch, without relying too much on sex, and is every bit the smart satire I hoped it would be.